Archive | September, 2012

With the success of converting such classic titles as “Quartermain,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Back to Mysterious Island” and “Juliet” into sold out comic book series, Bluewater has expanded further into the world of literature with “Dorian Gray.” The classic story about the literary world’s original bad boy gets a modern makeover in this interpretation.

“Dorian Gray” is and updated take from Bluewater based on the classic horror novel by Oscar Wilde. “Dorian Gray “#1 is now available. The thrilling adaptation was written by Darren G. Davis and Scott Davis (Wrath of the Titans/ Blackbeard Legacy). Federico De Luca (John Saul’s: God Project) illustrated both the interiors and covers for the title.

“Everyone’s favorite cute little dead girl is showcased in all her morbid glory in this all-new collection of the timeless comic strip from Roman Dirge! Return once against to the dark, surreal world of Lenore, the girl with a knack for unintentional mayhem and occasional wanton destruction in this fourth volume that includes the extremely rare #13, beautifully and painstakingly illustrated by creator Roman Dirge himself.”

They say that good things come to those who wait, so you better believe that this book is pretty damn good when it takes 5 years to come out. Collecting the rare #13 of Lenore Vol. 1 and issues #1 – #3 of Vol. 2, this book is a perfect starting point for someone who is new to Lenore.

Blood Sorcery lures us back to the beginning of Vampire the Requiem and takes a long look at one of the most interesting aspects of the game. While blood sorcery has always been “good” it was probably not as well developed as it could have been in hindsight. The Storytelling system has matured and now Requiem is benefiting from years of experience with a revamp of blood sorcery, an alternative approach to the system and a plethora of interesting additions to your chronicles. Coming in at just under 70 pages of content this is one of the best new books available to fans of Vampire the Requiem.

Three Parts Dead is an upcoming novel by Max Gladstone. Max is giving us a look into his writing process with this new essay. You can pre-order Three Parts Dead now at Amazon.com and other retailers.

Left to my own devices, I spend a lot of time alone. I’m a writer, so I write and read for fun—I sit in my living room, feet up, with a book, or pen and ink, or a laptop, and I work. I know the sounds of my apartment: cars rumble down the street nearby, tumblers cascade as keys slide into the front door lock, doors slam across the street, a woman laughs. Air whispers over floor exchanges, glass breaks in the bedroom, leaves rustle through the open window…

“Katya has been in a coma for five years, and when she awakes, everything has changed. Now she is a gorgeous teenager with a mysterious, gruesome past, becoming aware of a growing, terrifying power inside her body, triggered by the touch of the full moon, eager to break free . . . Can Katy solve the mystery of her blood-drenched nightmares before they become reality?”

Okay, seriously, WOW! When I read the solicit on this book, I knew to expect something good, but I didn’t know it was going to be this good. This book has the words “Turn me into a movie” written all over it.

ParaNorman is a horribly delightful stop-motion animated film about a young boy who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Growing up is already is a rough process and much like Cole Sear from The Sixth Sense Norman’s abilities do not make life any easier. Unlike Cole, Norman has been more open about what he sees which makes him the target of fear and ridicule in the small town of Blithe Hollow. Norman does not know it but he is not the first resident of this witch-obsessed town to have his gifts and he has a very important role to fill.

Jeremy Penter is the lead developer of AfterEarth: The Fall, a RPG currently on Kickstarter. This RPG offers a mash-up of post-apocalyptic setting with dark fantasy elements. It also offers the chance for all backers to have a say in the development of the game.

Flames Rising sat down to talk about the game and its unique development.

What is the elevator pitch for the game?

AfterEarth: The Fall is a unique mix of post-apocalyptic action and magical fantasy based in the chaotic birthing years of a new era on Earth that is backed up by a unique card-based rules system that allows the role-players to control how the game plays.

STAY ALIVE–NOT UNDEAD: A ZOMBIE SAFETY & AWARENESS COLORING/ACTIVITY BOOK is the “brainchild” of comic book writer (and, former IDW Publishing editor) Dan Taylor, who co-created the fan-favorite Hero Happy Hour, and is currently writing Armarauders for Mecha Workshop.

The artwork for STAY ALIVE–NOT UNDEAD: A ZOMBIE SAFETY & AWARENESS COLORING/ACTIVITY BOOK is being provided by artist Darren M.A. Calvert, who has illustrated many roleplaying game products for publishers such as Green Ronin Publishing, Kobold Quarterly Magazine, White Wolf Games, and more.

Sony Pictures will debut exclusive first looks at the highly anticipated upcoming films Carrie and Evil Dead at New York Comic Con on Saturday, October 13th from the Javits Center.

The panel presentations for Carrie and Evil Dead will take place between 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM on October 13th. The Carrie panel will include the film’s stars, Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, along with producer Kevin Misher and director Kimberly Peirce. Evil Dead’s panel will include the film’s star, Jane Levy (“Suburgatory”), producer (and star of original) Bruce Campbell and director, Fede Alvarez.

Archaia Entertainment and Skelton Crew Studio are excited to announce an exclusive license agreement for the studio to create a line of prop replicas based on the Eisner Award-winning Mouse Guard, written and drawn by David Petersen.

“David is such a huge talent and I’ve been a fan of Mouse Guard for years,” said Israel Skelton, owner of Skelton Crew Studio. “Taking the reins to build a mouse-sized armory? Honestly, it’s hard to get much cooler.”

The studio plans to release pewter collectibles of swords, shields, and other armament from the Mouse Guard universe. Its first release, the Black Axe, is slated for Christmas 2012.

There are certain towns that we all associate with ghost stories and sightings. But creepy encounters happen everyday all throughout this country-in towns that you may never have heard of, to normal people, just like you! With Ghostly Adventures, you can travel to these terrifying towns and share in the scare.

Let ghost guru, Christopher Balzano, be your guide through the jaw-dropping true tales that happen all around the U.S., in places like: the Boston hotel where old Mr. Parker returns to check on his guests; the lost village of Dudleytown, Connecticut, where all residents vanished without a trace; the Summerwind Mansion in northeast Wisconsin, whose secret compartment housed a man’s corpse for years.

Ghostly Adventures: Chilling True Stories from America’s Haunted Hot Spots is available now at DriveThruFiction.com!

Every gamer loves game night. We all gather around the game table with snacks and our beverage of choice ready to roll some dice and tell a story together. There is something magical about the tale that unfolds from a collaborative storytelling experience (also known as playing a roleplaying game) and the game master is the lynch pin to that process. It seems so effortless on the player’s side of the game screen but good game preparations are necessary to create that effect at the game table.

Game prep is not an intuitive process for most of us and there are very few resources out there for game masters wishing to learn it. Fortunately Phil Vecchione has come to our rescue with Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master’s Guide to Session Prep his newest book published by Engine Publishing.

Matt Forbeck is an award-winning game designer and author whose most recent endeavor, “12-for-12”, is a personal challenge issued to himself to write a novel a month for an entire year. I caught up with Matt after his most recent Kickstarter campaign concluded to ask him how things were going.

You’ve run a number of highly successful Kickstarters in support of your 12-for-12 initiative; what’s the most important thing you’ve learned about running a Kickstarter project?

It’s a lot more work than you think. While I ran my Kickstarters, they seemed to suck up every bit of time I had as I kept thinking about ways to improve them. That’s especially true toward the end, when you’re either getting desperate to hit your goals or thrilled that you’ve shot past them.

Holy $*!+! That about sums up what just happened at the end of this GORE-Geous and ARGH-Mazing book. Collecting the mini series, that was showcased during Deadworld Month in August from IDW, this book captures the same spirit as what came before, and leads readers into the future of this Dead’verse.

The artwork by Makkonen is beautiful. I said it when I read Slaughterhouse, and I will say it again, Sami’s style is so perfect for this series. His character designs have a very creepy edge to them, placed into his dark backgrounds and my eyes just melt with joy.

New York Comic Con (NYCC) officials have confirmed that a high profile panel focusing on season three of AMC’s hit television series The Walking Dead will take place at this year’s pop culture extravaganza. Cast members including Andrew Lincoln will be joined by showrunner and executive producer Glenn Mazzara as well as executive producers Robert Kirkman and Gale Anne Hurd. Moderated by Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick, The Walking Dead panel, which will take place in the IGN Theater on Saturday, October 13, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, will include an exclusive clip from the premiere episode of season three.

In addition to Andrew Lincoln, additional cast members participating in the panel include Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, David Morrissey and Michael Rooker.

Encounters ~ Plots ~ Places: Creatures, NPCs, Items, Places and Adventure Hooks for any fantasy system is not only an impressively long title it is also the creation of writer Benjamin Gerber, egg-lobbing world traveler, lover of zombies and game writer. Throw in some bits about IT, sock puppets and cats on fire and you have a writer’s bio that makes me grin from ear to ear.

EPP (for short) is a system independent sourcebook of inspirational material for game masters running fantasy roleplaying games.

The Horsemen are back, and you better be strapped in for what is about to go down. Book 2 is a balls to the wall non-stop thrill ride that is going to punch you in the face and not look back. Following the events of the first book, Helldiver, The Chosen shows the rest of the formation of the group that will save Earth from its impending doom. You would think that the visuals could not get any better than they were before, but they did. Each page is alive with such vibrant color. The art by Bisley is so GORE-Geous. His character designs are flat-out jaw dropping, and the amount of detail in each panel is stunning. There is no way in Hell (pun intended) that this book could look any better. His designs for the Horsemen alone, left a craving in this decapitated head for posters, t-shirts and so much more.

Being a vampire is inherently trading humanity for power, but most Kindred don’t do it on purpose. Blood sorcery is about wrapping your arms around blood sacrifice or inhuman philosophy and holding it close against your silent heart. As presented in Vampire: The Requiem, sorcery is a series of rituals passed down from hierophant to acolyte, pastor to parishioner. The blood caked on these rituals is dark and dried, and they are ancient and horrible indeed.

That’s what this book is: a gory and grand new exploration of blood sorcery from the powers of the great covenants to the dirty secrets of the street to the figures that lurk in the shadowed history of the Kindred. Blood Sorcery is available now in PDF and Print at DriveThruRPG.com!

In Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, you are unlikely heroes in a grim world of perilous adventure. You venture into the dark corners of the Empire and deal with the threats that others cannot or will not face. You’ll probably die alone in some festering hellhole, but maybe, just maybe, you’ll survive foul Mutants, horrible diseases, insidious plots, and sanity-blasting rituals to reap Fate’s rewards.

The Book of the Smoke is an oddity. The intentional use would be as an in-game prop for any setting where an occult London would be researched; however, it is best suited for Trail of Cthulhu, particularly the Bookhounds of London (a great read, by the way).

My initial impression of the book was lackluster. The cover is not eye-catching and doesn’t look right for a book from the intended era. The artwork, maps, and photography inside do seem to belong with such a tome though. The layout (single column) strikes the look of a journal. While the end result is fitting, it still proves dull upon examination.

11 Tales of Ghostly Horror

Monthly Newsletter Sign Up

The Devil’s Night WoD SAS

Become a Fan on Facebook!

Reviews Wanted!

The new Review Guidelines have been posted on the Flames Rising website. We are currently seeking a few good reviewers to help us expand our collection of horror and dark fantasy reviews. RPGs, fiction, movies, video games and more are all welcome on the site...

What do you get out of it?

Beyond helping out fellow Flames Rising readers by letting them know what you think of these products, we're giving away some pretty cool stuff. Regular Reviewers can earn free products to review, which is their to keep after the review is submitted to the site.

Note: We are especially looking for folks interested in reviewing eBooks (both Fiction & Comics). We have lots of great titles in digital format and even get advance copies sometimes.

Use the Contact Page to submit reviews or let us know if you have any questions.